“We were Worthy, a town and a team. The town was small, just 4,162 souls calling it home. And we knew just about all of them in one way or another. “

How much can you really know about your neighbors? How can all the adults possibly know what secrets are lurking behind those beatific cheerleader smiles or the monstrous meaning behind the handsome football players winks? A winning touchdown won’t shield the residents of Worthy, Georgia from the tragic deaths of three town darlings. That a sweet young man may be to blame, one of their own who lies injured in the hospital bed suspended in time, trapped by a fog of pain, not yet fully aware of what he has done. Can a mother protect him, will him to forget to keep him safe? The town is hungry for answers, to see someone punished! Everyone will turn on each other, some will remain silent, guarding their shameful secrets. Leah feels like a shadow, marked for death though she wasn’t in the car that night, even if she should have been. She carries survivor’s shame, can’t bear the stares that bore into her seeming to ask “why not you?” Just why wasn’t she in that car, something her own mother wonders too. There are secrets the cheerleaders took with them to their graves, ones she is a part of, one she needs to purge but cannot.

What of the mothers? The last time that Marglyn was with her daughter, there was a fight, how could she have possibly known what fate had in store for her? Shamed that her mind was on another child while Mary Claire needed her, she is weighted with regret and pain… so much pain. Darcy’s son was at the wheel of the other car, her sweet young son who would never harm a soul, now she must protect him fiercely from a town bent on revenge, a town that needs someone to pin their pain and shock on. Who better than the cause! Ava, substitute teacher, a local man’s wife, has a seedy secret, one she hopes died with the popular cheerleaders, those girls with eyes everywhere. Disgusted with herself, that she can find a small relief, safety for herself in such a tragic loss, one that took secrets that would be ruinous to her career, and worse, her marriage. Leah, sweet confused Leah whose best friends weren’t always the greatest, the girls she was supposed to be with and the dirty plan that had her left behind, oblivious that her friends were about to die… all these secrets will converge, splitting some people apart and drawing unlikely friendships and loves together. Is truth salvation, or will it lead to more destruction?

What of the men, what of the men in the lives of the women? They too will face the truth about their lives, strengths, weaknesses and everything in between. Some may see the things they’ve taken for granted, others will need to decide whether to let go or start something new. Some sniffing around women that belong to others, turning toward or away from their wives, stepping up for the children or having a hand in their downfall… no one is without blame. The town of Worthy is about to find out just what they are really made of.

I really enjoyed this more than I expected. Leah had my heart, I think there is a little Leah in every teenage girl, that hunger to be accepted. I think most mothers of teenage girls can relate to the distance and anger that Mary Alice has for her mother. As much as they love us, when girls begin to become young women they get embarrassed by us, even while needing us they carry such an emotional storm within that they lash out as much as they are tender. There is something feral in teenagers, but who can blame them with all those hormones running amok, we remember… we remember being the same. Not easy for mothers at all to see your sweet baby girl blossoming with the push and pull of need. Such a confusing time! Luckily for the majority of us, our bickering will be smoothed over later, not so here. The marriages are a wreck, women make huge mistakes being attention hungry. As the town judges and spouses too, the reader is privy to the internal strife of each character, with such knowledge, just who is to blame for the tragedy? No one or everyone? Sometimes it’s easier to turn on your loved ones rather than to realize how much responsibility you carry.

Publication Date: September 12, 2017

Lake Union Publishing

When We Were Worthy tells the heartbreaking story of how a small town is affected after three girls die in a car crash. It deals with topics like guilt and blame and culpability, forgiveness and hope. It explores how people can go on after such horrific events.
The story is told through the eyes of several women/girls. I loved how all their lives were woven into the story. It was intimate and emotional to read how they were experiencing their loss. And I felt connected to all of them. The icing on the cake was a lovely a little twist at the very end of the book.
I’m struggling with this review because I really loved this book, but I can’t analyse the emotions I felt while reading and connect them to specific parts or characters or plots. So I’m just going with this very general review because for me this is a very good book and I'll keep my eye out for other books by this author.

*** I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

First 5-star book of the year and holy, book hangover! I'm not sure what to read next - Whalen's previous book, The Things We Wish Were True, or something completely different. I will have to think on it.

Told in alternating view points, no one is right, no one is wrong; no one voice is good, no one voice is evil. They are just people trying to do the best they can in a small town ruled by football and religion, in that order.

A tragic event - the death of 3 cheerleaders - brings the reader in to the lives of the mother of one of the girls and the mother of the boy who hit the girls - and survived. There's also the substitute teacher who would rather be anywhere else and the voice I found most compelling - a fourth cheerleader. Leah normally would have been in the car with the rest of the girls - so where was she that night?

Leah's character grew so carefully, so achingly and so slowly that even though I guessed the secret she held - or parts of it, at least - it still broke my heart when all was revealed at the end of the book.

Highly, highly recommend this well-written, heartbreaking and important read.

I was given an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review of this book. This book took place in a small town called Worthy where everyone know your life. I thought that the first half of the book was really good but for some reason I just lost interest halfway through. I think that it could have been alot better if the book concentrated more on characters that were more involved in the accident and the grief they were all feeling of their losses. I feel like it just lost the storyline by not concentrating on the people that were more involved in this tragedy. It didn't mention the boy who was to be considered at fault enough and I really feel like he should have been one of the main people to see what he was going through after such a horrible accident.

I had forgotten what it felt like to have all the insecurities of the teenage years. That need to fit in. This book was really engaging. A tragic accident affects four families and everybody In the town has an opinion. Was it just an accident or can someone be held accountable. This book is really full with the accident and smaller but just as important sub plots affecting a teacher and also the football team. Life isn't a certainty and what people do or say affects others. Brilliant book

Great book! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

This book is a hit!! Emotional and everything that is needed in a page turner.

The story revolves around a car crash in the small town of Worthy in which three high school cheerleaders die and the young driver of the other car is blamed. Each chapter is written from the viewpoint of four women who are linked to the town and crash, Marglyn, the mother of one of the cheerleaders who feels guilty for not being there for her daughter, Darcy, the mother of the other driver, Leah, a cheerleader who wasn't in the car when her friends dies and Ava, a substitute teacher who is an outsider to the town and has to deal with being treated as a pariah by most of the locals due to lies being spread about her. An extremely well written, entertaining book with strong characters and plenty of twists in the story. I found it difficult to put the book down as I wanted to know what happened next. I highly recommend this book.

When We Were Worthy was such a good book! It really all boils down to secrets, lies, forgiveness and blame. There was more than enough of each of these to go around in this novel.

The characters are all flawed, as are all of us. This made me like them, they seemed much more real because of it. The main focus of the story is a tragedy that affects everyone in this very small town and how people's lives change as the truth of the tragedy unfolds.

I really enjoyed this book and think that if you're a fan of small town sagas, character studies or books with a strong storyline, you'll enjoy this.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an ARC.

When We Were Worthy is an insanely gripping read. I became absorbed in this novel and it hit me hard! Young adults and adults should read this one. It's certainly going to stay on my mind for a long time to come and I think many can learn something from it.

** Full Review will be posted online during release week **

Ok so I read When We Were Worthy last night. I'd say it wasn't what I expected, but I went in based on the beautiful cover like I always do, so basically I didn't have much of an expectation. I just expected it to be as beautiful and mysterious as its cover. And it so was. I don't read the blurbs on books ever. I go by cover or author name. Blessing and a curse sometimes. Anyway, this was a crushing story about a tiny town in Georgia that suffered an enormous loss for their small football town. It's a multi person storyline and each storyline ties into another, just like you'd expect a small town where everyone knows everything, to do. The story was gripping, it was heartbreaking, but it was beautifully done. My emotions during the book ranged from shock, anger, sadness, annoyance.. basically everything. I highly recommend this book!

This story revolves around a small town. After the local high school wins yet another game, the town has to deal with death of three of its cheerleaders, after a fatal crash. Four lives are interwoven perfectly in this novel. Each character takes you through many emotions, emotions that I'm sure each one of us has felt at some stage in our lives. It sure had me evaluating the choices I made as a teenager & again as a parent.
This is a story of tragedy, judgement,sorrow, grief, guilt, triumphs & hope. This could be the story of any small american town. I, myself am from a small town, & this book resonates with so many aspects of my small town, from the local high school football team to the gossipers.
This book held me captive throughout & left me rooting for all! I would definitely recommend this book. I have read other books by Marybeth Whalen, & look forward to many more!!

Thank you Netgalley & Lake Union publishing for this arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

This story takes place in the small southern town of Worthy, where football rules and the community attends church each Sunday. One moment in time rips the community apart when three high school cheerleaders are killed after their car is hit by another high school student's. Equal parts heartbreaking and mysterious, the story is told in alternating voices by those left behind: the girls' parents, a teacher, and Leah, the cheerleader who should have been in the car with them. With so many voices telling the story, I was left trying to piece together exactly who was to be trusted and why Leah wasn't in the car with them that night. This book was more emotional than I expected, and left me shocked at the end.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for gifting me this ARC in exchange of an honest review.


Holy Moly there was so much going on this book. So many lives intertwined and the Author did an amazing job of bringing them all together. This story does switch back and forth between multiple characters which helps to weave this story together. This is a story about scandals, forgiveness, heartbreak and loss, love, divorce, and redemption.

This story takes place in small town America, where the football players rule and everyone else follows along. Living in a small town myself, these stories fascinate me. Pretty true to real life in a small town there is a lot of leeway given to those in sports and heads turned to wrong doing. I was happy to see redemption in the end. Not everyone turns a blind eye. I liked how it showed parents protecting their children and trying to hide the mistakes they make which gave validity to the story and more true to life.

It’s a truly captivating story. I would definitely recommend to my book loving friends. I loved that it wasn’t predictable and took turns in the story that I didn’t see coming. This story is very well written with an amazing plot. It brought out so many emotions and in the end I was in tears. I like how it made me think and evaluate myself as a parent. How people who live through the same tragedy make different choices. This is my first time reading this author and I look forward to reading more from her.

5 stars

This novel tells the story through the eyes and thoughts of different characters. This works very well for the author and is a powerful manner in which to get her points across.

When tragedy strikes the small town of Worthy, many people don’t know exactly how they feel about it. Three teenage cheerleaders were killed in an auto accident that seems to have been caused by a teenage boy who went to the same school and was driving on a provisional permit. They feel horrified and sad, of course, but also some feel relief, some feel guilty and some are very confused.

The girl who was to be the fourth in the car is both relieved and wishing at times like she should have been in the car. It would make her confusing life so much easier. She has a startling secret that may have something to do with the accident. A woman feels relief that one of the girls who were killed cannot tell anyone about her kissing a man who was not her husband at the football game. And she feels awful about that.

The mother of one of the dead girls is torn between feeling guilty because this was the first football game she has missed all season and she had a big fight with her daughter before she left the house for the last time. She was helping another young girl get ready for a job interview. She almost blames the girl she was helping for missing the game even though it was her idea.

Overnight friends turn into enemies for the mother of the boy who was supposed to have been racing when he hit the girls’ car. She is amazed and saddened. She fiercely wants to protect her son, admonishing him to never speak of the racing, but that it was a pure accident.

This book is about loss and how we deal with it. It is the story of how tragedy affects our lives and our reactions to it. It is about the mixed feeling that we all struggle with when faced with a monumental tragedy. The blame game is in full force, neighbors sniping at one another and pointing fingers.

This is a very well written and plotted novel. It is both emotional and startlingly honest. This is my first Marybeth Mayhew Whalen book, but it won't be my last. I simply loved it and it made me think about the emotions and drama associated with such a tragedy.

I want to thank Netgalley and Lake Union Books for forwarding to me this wonderful novel to read.

One of my top 5 books this year. This book is not to be missed. I've read from this author before, I'm hoping she's continuing to write more books.

Spent a rainy day reading it through. Great read! How far will we go to fit in? What makes some feel less or more worthy than others? Grest wrap up at the end to some of these questions.

I honestly could not finish this book, it was so hokey and down right silly.

4 stars

The teenage years! How did we ever survive them? How do we raise children to be teenagers who accept responsibility, who realize that life is sometimes fleeting, and understand that there is so much more to life than a game?

The story of the town of Worthy Georgia starts out with triumph following a winning football game and season. The football heroes and their cheerleaders are filled with their sense of self importance, the players being considered demigods and the cheerleaders being linked to them. The town is thrilled because football is part of their intrinsic life producing heroes on the field. However, the sounds of sirens blaring follow shortly after. For three of the cheerleaders, their life ends in a tragic car accident. For one young man his life becomes a nightmare as he is blamed for this awful happening. For the parents, the ones left behind, this tragedy moves and shapes their lives in so many ways. For one young girl, Leah, who was left behind, now wonders why she was not in that car.

There was so much going on in this novel that the author was able to interweave with the death of the three girls. She was able to point up the way in which teenagers think that life is a guarantee. She was able to show that parents sometimes makes choices that are just as foolish as their teenage children make. Sometimes these choices result in consequences that one never seems to think could possibly happen. Sometimes these choices can be fatal.

How does one move beyond this? How do we stop making our sports stars into gods? How does one suffer the loss of a child? How does one learn to look inside oneself to find that from all tragedy there is always hope?

As sad as this novel is, it also offers one hope. It is the concept that life in all its tragic forms will go on and that people will be able to move forward if they recognize that love and hope is there for those who are willing to grasp it.

Thank you to NetGallery and Lake Union Publishing for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.

In a small Southern town, high school football is everything. Locals gather every weekend to cheer on their boys. One night after an awe-inspiring victory, a car crash kills three of the teams cheerleaders. The boy in the other car is immediately blamed in the court of public opinion. The town becomes a battleground as friends become enemies and people take sides about who is to blame. Four people, the mother of on of the dead girls, a cheerleader who should have been in the car, the mother of the boy behind the wheel and a substitute teacher with a shocking secret are at the center of this tumultuous tale. For fans of Jodi Piccoult